A Message from Jason Kander: Why You Won’t Get a Pass from Me

This is the message where I’m supposed to thank you for all you’ve done for me, tell you how much it meant to me, and then say my goodbyes and wish you luck on your journey. I’m supposed to say something like, “Perhaps our paths will cross again.”

But that’s not how I roll. Of course, I am thankful to you and I’m forever grateful for this experience. But why wouldn’t I be? Let’s talk about something important.

We’re all disappointed about Tuesday night’s results. We lost an election. In fact, we – the Democrats – lost a whole mess of elections on Tuesday.

But please know that I’m going to be fine. My wife is gorgeous and brilliant and my son True is my best little buddy in the world. We are not the people who will be hurt by these election results. So please don’t spend any time being sad for me. If you’re going to be sad for someone, make it the single mom who has cancer and is scared to death about being unable to keep her insurance to continue treatments without Obamacare. Worry about the undocumented student who has only ever known this country and is worried about what happens to her now. Worry about the minimum wage worker trying to stretch $30 into a full grocery trip. Let your heart go out to the college student saddled with enormous debt and unable to get help from a parent whose own graduate degree has forced him into bankruptcy.

I met each of those people, in real life, during this campaign. And it fueled me the whole way. But here’s the thing, that fuel is still in my tank. Why? I love this country and I won’t let losing an election force me away from the process.

Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Yes, Donald Trump is going to be President and the Republicans control the House and the Senate, but I need that to double your resolve, not cause you to give up on our politics.

Be proud of the campaign we ran. In a “red” state that Donald Trump won by 19%, we came within 3% of turning the Senate seat blue. And we didn’t do it by hugging the middle and pretending to be moderate Republicans.

I wouldn’t change a single day on this campaign. I’m proud that we took on some of the biggest names in Republican politics and darn near shocked the world. We fought for smart environmental policies, for unions, for LGBT equality, for commonsense gun safety, and a host of other important causes. I’m proud that we didn’t back down and that we demonstrated that the most important thing Democrats can do is make their argument.

If you were a part of this campaign in even the smallest way, you might feel like stepping away from it all to lick your wounds. Maybe you think you’re done with volunteering or donating or even believing in anything changing. Well, you won’t get a pass from me. Staying engaged has become more important than ever.

And this is the time to maintain that engagement. A new generation is stepping forward in America. Don’t let anyone tell you that this generation is selfish. This is a generation that cares more about ideas than ideology and measures patriotism not by a politician’s eagerness to go to war but by their willingness to do what’s right no matter the political cost. And this generation knows better than to let any politician – even a President – tell them that a changing country is a declining country.

I don’t know what I’m going to do next or even whether I’ll ever place my name on a ballot again, but I know I’m not leaving this cause behind. To truly care about this country is to demonstrate that you care about her politics the same when you’re winning as when you’re losing.

America needs you now more than ever. So don’t quit! This generation is patriotic, creative, selfless, and – most importantly – numerous. My campaign might no longer be the vehicle for your activism, but that doesn’t mean you’re excused from standing up and making your voice heard.